#TasteForAdventure with Mud House Wines

There are times when holidays are needed, weekend away are counted down towards and when getaways come at just the right time, and for me, a trip away to Sherwood Forest with Mud House Wines couldn’t have come at a better time. Admittedly I am the first to raise my hand at being unfit (as I figured out last weekend) and not so much a fan of the real outdoors (yeah, I like the nice easy, non muddy walks!), but something about what was in store last weekend was too intriguing not too pull out my as-practical-as-could-be boots and warm coat, and pack a bag for a weekend of adventure. And relaxation in a secluded forest, with my cousin.
#TasteForAdventure is all about being outdoors and enjoying the adventure wherever you are. It’s a chance to do something different and embrace fresh ideas and with Mud House Wines, their passion is recognised around the world, making consistently beautiful wines for people who seek new experiences. With the founders settling in New Zealand, their passion for adventure shows in the award winning brand. And with a bottle in my backpack, I was ready for a new adventure. Just like John & Jennifer Joslin did.

We arrived at the resort Friday lunchtime, armed with bags of food and nibbles for the weekend ahead. Once we had checked in at the retreat (it certainly felt like a retreat!), we dumped our belongings into the cabin which was incredibly welcoming and warm (we like warm!), sipped on some fresh berry smoothies before pulling on our comfortable boots ready to hit the outdoors. The British rainy outdoors..

We walked around the enclosed area, taking in sights that both myself and my cousin hadn’t experienced in some time. And although the weather would normally make it difficult for us to have even left our own homes, somehow it felt almost peaceful to be out in the open, with a wind blowing on us, and the trees dripping their raindrops onto our coats. It was as if what normally looked like any other forest, became this magical place, with trees that could tell hundreds of stories if they could talk. It was truly wonderful.

After our walk and with us feeling refreshed being outdoors, we headed back to our cabin for a night of movies one after another, plenty of picky foods and a huge amount of chocolate (so huge we couldn’t even finish it!). The night was spent cosied up in the robes that were supplied with laughter and tears, and the peaceful and pitch black view of the window looking outside the cabin. With nobody to disturb us, it was so very calming.

With a good sleep had, our stomachs full to the brim with pancakes and fresh fruit, and a few texts checking whether suede trainers could be cleaned, or if a leather jacket would be OK in the wash, we headed to pick up some bikes for a day of cycling. We’d seen the majority of cyclists covered in mud the day before, however we hadn’t quite anticipated just how muddy we would get.

The first time we got to a muddy puddle with the only option to go through it at speed, we did fail a little and walk around the trail, BUT saying that we carried on. And even embraced the mud. And for someone who hadn’t been on a bike in five years, I don’t think a six mile ride was too bad, with only one five minute stop to catch my breath. Not sure our bums agreed with us though.. But we did it! Even with muddy covered suede trainers.

After slowly ambling back to the cabin with sore bums, we soon sorted ourselves out with mini eggs and warm showers, before getting dressed to explore the local villages. I love quaint places with character, and we’d seen a pub a village only 10 minutes away, so decided to eat out for the night. We treated ourselves to two courses, before deciding that tiredness had beaten pudding and headed back to the cabin to curl up for our last night.

By Sunday morning, as we packed up our leftovers and muddy clothes, I realised that maybe I could do more of these types of weekends. With normally being a hot holiday kind of girl, or a lazy weekend wandering quaint lanes with cake and tea in sight, adventure weekends never seemed my thing. But this #TasteForAdventure, only seems like the beginning. A true taste for it. A taste that I now want to don my non-suede trainers, waterproof coat and layers (I tried here, I really did), and head out more into the open, the unknown and do the things that I’ve never thought about doing before. So thank you Mud House Wines – your taste for adventure not only comes from your bottles, but also your passion.. Here’s to embracing fresh ideas and new challenges.

Post in collaboration with Mud House Wines – If you fancy winning a trip New Zealand, then visit Mud House on Facebook.